Folding bed.



PatentedI Feb. I9, I90l. D. WALKER.`

FoLnmG BEI).

(Application tiled Nov. 19, 1 (No Model.)

2 SheetsfSheet N6. 668,466. Patente-d F66. I9, 196|.

n. WALKER.

FOLDING BED.

(Applcaticn filed Nov. 19, 1900. (No Nudel.) 2 Sheets--Shee 2.

llrtrrsn Frames Farnnm @triest DEMMA WALKER, OF BIRMNGHAM, ALABAMA.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,468, dated February 19, 1901.

Application led November 19, 1900. Serial No. 37,039. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DEMMA WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding beds; and the object of the same is to construct a bed which will assume the form, when closed, of a neat compact cabinet or desk and will also be simple in construction and safe and efficient in operation.

With this object in view I have designed the novel construction fully described in this specification and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of my bed folded up. Fig. 2 is a section on the line m m looking down. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail of the head-section with fragments of the adjacent parts. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the end of the bed. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the slotted block. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of one corner of the foot-section.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the different views of the drawings.

My bed comprises,essentially, ahead-frame A, which forms the base of the cabinet, a piv- `oted foot-section B, and a pivotedA head-section C. These different parts will be taken up and described in the order named.

The numeral 1 designates the corner-posts, (two innumber,) which are prolonged and serve to support the headboard 2 of the bed. This headboard is rectangular and has two trapezoidal openings 3 therein, within which are mounted hinged panels 4, which neatly fit the openings. These panels et are hinged to the posts 1 and are arranged to swing outward and form the sides of the cabinet, into which the bed is transformed by closing. A wedge-shaped block 5 is rigidly secured transversely thereof to the back of each of the panels 4 and provided with a guide 5a, the function of which will appear later. A second pair of corner-posts 6, which are short, are tied to the posts 1 by means of end boards 7 and 8, which are mortised into the posts. These posts 6 are connected by a board 9, ex-

tending transversely of the bed. The pairs of boards 7 and 8 each have an intervening space which, in combination with a pair of grooves 10, cut in the posts 1 and 6, accommodates and retains a sliding panel l1. rlhese panels 11 are raised when the bed is closed and depressed when it is lowered.

The hinged foot-section B is supported on a shaft 12, journaled in the corner-posts 6. This sect-ion B comprises parallel side pieces 13, a paneled bottom 14, an inclined footboard 15, a headpiece 16, and a hinged leg- `bearing section 16a. Rigidly secured to the side pieces 13 are blocks 17, shaped to fit on top of the posts 6 and give a finish to the structure When folded. The forward ends of the side pieces 13 have rounded portions 13a projecting beyond the headpiece 16, which portions are designed to mesh with rounded notches 17, cutin the ends oflevers 18. These levers 18 are fulcru med on pins 19, seated in strips 20, and are also provided with projections 21, which mesh with notches 21EL in the ends of the members 13a. By this arrangement the levers 18 are actuated in both directions when the foot-section is operated up and down. The opposite ends of the levers 18 are fitted with pins 22, which pivotally engage the lower ends of links 23, which are oppositely pivoted to the sliding panels 1l, the strips 8 being cut away to accommodate the said links. By this combination of levers 18, links 20, and sliding panels 11 the panels are raised and lowered when the foot-section is raised and lowered.

The pivoted head-section C is located between the panels 11 and is supported on a rock-shaft 24, jonrnaled in blocks 8, secured to the pieces 8. @ne end of the shaft 24 is seated in a circular groove 25, and thereby rendered removable. The section C is rectangular. It has a back piece 26 projecting above the frame thereof, and the ends have inclined projections 27 thereon, to which the back 26 is secured. These inclined portions 27 are sloped just enough to bring them parallel to the mattress when the bed is folded. In order to operate the head-section C, it is connected to thefoot-section B by connectingrods 28, pivotally secured at both ends and fitting notches 29, cut in the headboard. By this arrangement the head-section O is oper- IOC) ated simultaneously With and by operatingmy the foot-section B. Secured to the back 26, extending up and between the guides 5 and blocks 5, are rigid arms 29, which serve to open and close the panels 4 When the headsection is operated. The Wedge-shaped blocks 5 make it possible for the arms to thro7 the panels 4 out of the Way of the foot-section B.

In folding my bed it is grasped by the foot and raised, thereby turning the foot-section B about its shaft as a center. This motion Will be communicated to the head-section C through the medium of the connecting-rods 28. The head-section Will turn about the rock-shaft 24 and will simultaneously actuate the panels 4, Which will be swung out by the arms 29a and will extend at right angles to the headboard 2. Simultaneously with the turning of the head-section C the panels l1 will be operated by means of the levers 1S and links 23 and raised up to contact with the bottoms of the panels 4 when they are in their spread-outposition. The footboard l5 will fit over the tops of the panels 4 and be secured by a catch 30, secured to the headboard 2. The bott-om 14 will extend parallel to the inclined edges of the panels 4, with the side pieces 1.3 in contact With the inner sides thereof. In opening my bed the reverse of the operations just described will be gone through, the hinged leg-bearing section 16L being operated by hand each time.

I do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these may be modified in many particulars Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Y Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and Wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding bed, the combination, substantially as described, With a head-frame, a headboard secured to said frame, a pair of panels mounted to slide in said head-frame, a pairof hinged pa nels mounted on said headboard, means which is operated by the folding of the bed, for simultaneously opening said hinged panels at right angles to the plane of said headboard and raising said sliding panels to contact with the bottoms of said hinged panels.

2. In a folding bed, the combination, substantially as described With a head-frame, of a pair of panels slidingly mounted in said head-fram e, links pivoted at one of their ends to said panels, levers pivotally connected to said links and means for operating said levers t-o actuate said links to raise and lower said sliding panels.

3. The combination, substantially as described, With a head-frame, of the headboard provided with hinged panels constructed to be opened out at right angles to the plane thereof, the head-section pivotally mounted in said head-frame, the arms mounted on said head-section and positioned to engage said hinged panels to open and close them When the head-section is operated, and means for operating said head-section.

4. The combination, substantially as described, With the head-frame, of the headboard provided With hinged panels constructed to be opened out at right angles to the plane thereof, the Wedge-shaped blocks and the guides mounted on said panels, the arms mounted to engage said wedge-shaped blocks and said guides to open and close said panels, and means for operating said arms.

5. The combination, substantially as described, of the head-frame, the foot-section pivoted in said head-frame, the head-section pivoted in said head-frame, the headboard provided With hinged panels, the panels slidingly mounted in said head-frame, means for connecting the said foot-section to said sliding panels and to said head-section to operate them, and means forconnecting said headsection and said hinged panels to operate them.

6. The combination, substantially as described, of the head-frame, the pivoted footsection mounted in said head-frame, the pivoted head section mounted in said headframe, the connecting-rods pivoted to said foot and head sections, the panels slidingly mounted in said head-frame, means for connecting said panels and said foot-section, the headboard provided with hinged panels, and the arms mounted on said head-section and constructed to engage and operate said hinged panels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DEMMA WALKER.

Witnesses:

G. T. BLANKINSHIP, GYRUs B. STAFFORD. 

